Kanye West used to be a media darling. Those days are long gone. The rapper and designer has become one of the most polarizing figures in the world. His antics at the 2025 Grammy Awards bear this out. He decided to walk the red carpet with wife Bianca Censori, who was nude under a sheer dress. The fallout from the controversy has been absolute catnip for talk shows. Jimmy Kimmel took aim at Kanye West on a recent episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. Nobody could have expected how brutal the host's comments would be, though.
Jimmy Kimmel claimed that Will Smith should have slapped Kanye West in the face for his red carpet behavior. Smith was a presenter at the Grammy Awards, and made reference to the actor's controversy at the 2022 Oscars. "Will Smith, all he had to do was run out on that red carpet and slap Kanye," Kimmel asserted. "I think all would be forgiven." The talk show host went a step further, however, and insulted Ye by calling him a rodent. "Another rodent came out of his hole [at the Grammys last night] — none other than Kanye West," he said at the onset of his joke.
Kimmel Wanted Will Smith To "Slap" Kanye West
Kanye West and Jimmy Kimmel have a fraught history. The rapper has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live multiple times over the years. Kimmel mocked West's egotistical statements during a 2013 sketch, which led the latter to criticize him. The two men eventually squashed their beef on the air. West claimed he felt comfortable calling the host out because they had a personal relationship. "That elevates sometimes," he said. "Jimmy does his thing, I do my thing. At some point egos can flare up, and we kind of took it back to high school."
Ye's 2018 appearance, however, was infamous for its awkwardness. Ye had just endorsed Donald Trump for President. Kimmel, a vocal Trump critic, asked the rapper why he felt the President cared about Black people. Especially since West had been so critical about George W. Bush. Ye tried to think of an answer, but couldn't. Kimmel then cut off the interview by going to commercial. The two might've had a bond in the past, but it doesn't seem like the "rodent" comment was made lovingly.
